These are the ingredients that will be coming together for the third annual Stop Hunger Now campaign at Canterbury United Methodist Church on Wednesday Feb. 20 and Thursday, Feb. 21. Between 6:30 a.m. and 7 p.m., more than 2,000 volunteers will congregate at Canterbury United—350 Overbrook Road –and help package meals to be sent to Zambia and Burundi, Africa. Additional “power hours,” between 7-10 p.m. on Wednesday, will also be offered to volunteers 18 and older for those able to pack at a faster pace.

For months, Canterbury, along with Saint Luke’s Episcopal, Brookwood Baptist, Vestavia Hills United Methodist and Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Churches, have all been working to help raise money and attract volunteers for the event. Their goal is to package a total of 500,000 meals—25 cents each—meaning that they need to raise approximately $125,000.

With thousands of volunteers already signed up, and with approximately $93,000 already raised, the event looks to be well on its way to success.

Five work shifts are already filled, said Rachel Estes, outreach director at Canterbury, but the church is still hoping to attract more volunteers for the still-open shifts.

“I want to stress that the event is appropriate for all ages,” said Estes, “from 3 and 4-year-olds to 103-year olds. There will be sit-down jobs, lifting jobs, packing jobs, taping and sorting jobs—basically, something for everyone.”

The event is open to all members of the community, regardless of religious affiliation.

“My dream is that someday Birmingham will work toward a million-meal pack,” said Estes, “and that would require the help of all kinds of people in the community.”

For now, however, Estes remains confident that half-a-million meals will help at least some in need and at the same time raise awareness on the realities of hunger.

“The number one question I get,” said Estes, “is, ‘Why in the world would you not just ship the food to the country, why insert this middle, packing part?’”

For Estes, it all comes down to an opportunity to educate and spread awareness.

“For two days, I tell them, more than 2,000 people will be thinking about the scarcity of food and about the importance of taking care of all the people on this earth. There’s enough food for everyone, it’s just about getting access to it.”

This year, she said, is just another opportunity to create an environment that fosters awareness.

It’s already worked in the past. In its first year, volunteers at Canterbury packed 142,560 meals for Haiti—enough to fill an entire shipping container. Last year, the group worked to pack 500,000 meals for Honduras, described by the CIA World Factbook as “one of the poorest countries in Latin America (along with having) the world's highest murder rate.” According to statistics, more than half of the population lives in poverty.

This new year brings the opportunity to help other in need in yet another part of the world.

Burundi, a country in Africa where some of this year’s food will go, recently experienced a devastating loss: the entire central market burned in the capital, said Catherine Bauman, a former Canterbury member and current Education Director with Village Health Works in Kigutu, Burundi. The disaster, said Bauman in an email to Estes, has been devastating for the entire country. The coming relief, added Bauman, will help ease a growing need.

As thousands of pounds of food arrive at Canterbury from Atlanta this week, eager volunteers will be waiting to help. For a chance to participate in the packing process, register here. Some packing hours will offer childcare services. For those who might be unable to attend but would like to donate money for the cause, click here or contact Rachel Estes by email at Rachel.Estes@canterburyumc.org and phone at 871-4695.